Watering fountain



A ril 5, 1949. M. c. TOWNSEND WATERING FOUNTAIN Filed April 15, 1944 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor April 5, 1949. M. c. TOWNSEND WATERING FOUNTAINFiled April 15, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 kg /7. CL /FFO/8D. TbWNSE/VD, By aand Patented Apr. 5, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WATERING FOUNTAINMaurice Clifiord Townsend, Hartford City, Ind.

Application April 15, 1944, Serial No. 531,168

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a watering fountain especially designed foruse by hogs.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a wateringfountain of the above kind which includes a drinking trough and a watersupply trough which communicates with the drinking trough through arestricted passage, and wherein novel means are provided for preventingfreezing of the water in cold weather, and undue warming of the water inhot weather, particularly in the drinking trough.

More specifically, the present invention aims to provide a wateringfountain of the above kind which is comparatively simple inconstruction, efiioient in use, and otherwise well adapted to meet withthe requirements for a successful commercial use.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a wateringfountain of the above kind embodying a rear heating chamber, anintermediate water supply trough, and a front drinking troughcommunicating with the water supply trough through a restricted passage,and wherein the heating chamber and water supply trough are constantlycovered, whereas the drinking trough is effectively covered except whenthe hogs are drinking therefrom.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a wateringfountain of the above character wherein means is provided for conductinghot products of combustion and warm air from the heating chamberdirectly to the space between the water in the drinking trough and thecover for said drinking trough, thereby efiectively preventing freezingof the water in the drinking trough in very cold weather without undulyheating the water therein.

Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparentfrom the following description when considered in connection with theaccompanying drawings, and the invention consists in the novel form,combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described,shown in the drawings and claimed.

In the drawings, wherein like reference char- A acters indicatecorresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a drinking fountain constructed inaccordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view thereof.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 with the cover of the fountainbody removed.

Figure 4 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on line 44 of Figure1.

Figure 5 is an enlarged horizontal section through the float valve forcontrolling the flow of water to the water supply trough.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the present -hg fountain includes ahorizontally elongate body 5 preferably formed of concrete so as toprovide a rear chamber 5, an interme diate water supply trough 'i, afront drinking trough S, and a restricted passage 9 affording constantcommunication between the troughs l and 8 below the ater level therein.It will be particularly noted that the partitions l5 and H whichrespectively divide the heating chamber from the water supply trough land the water supply trough i from the drinking trough 8, are of lesserheight than the rear and side walls of the body 5, and the upper edgesof the side walls at the drinking trough 8 are inclined forwardly anddownwardly, as at E2, the front wall of body 5 being of slightly lesserheight than the partitions 52 and H. The heating chamber 6 is open atthe top and may also be open at the bottom, as shown. As the body isformed of concrete with relatively thick walls, the water will notreadily freeze in the troughs i and '6, except in unusually coldweather, if said troughs "l and El are covered. I accordingly providethe body with a cover which may be made of any suitable material andwhich includes a rear portion l3 overlying the heating chamber 6 and thewater supply trough l and resting upon the rear and side walls of thebody 5, and a forward hinged lid section H.- overlying the drinkingtrough S and normally resting on the inclined upper edge portions !2 ofthe side walls of body 5 and the front wall of said body, as shown inFigure 4. The lid section it is hinged at I5 to the rear section 23 forvertical swinging movement, and at least the forward marginal portion ofsaid lid section Hi projects outwardly beyond the adjacent walls of thebody so that the hogs may root under the lid section if; for opening itand obtaining access to the water in the drinking trough 8. It has beenfound in actual practice that hogs will do this, so that the drinkingtrough 8 may remain covered except when the hogs are drinking therefrom.The rear cover section It is preferably secured in place by means ofnuts 5 threaded on the projecting upper ends of bolts ll that areembedded in the side walls of the fountain body and that pass upwardlythrough openings in the section [3.

In order to have a supply of water constantly maintained in the watersupply trough l, and consequently also in the drinking trough 8- withwhich it communicates, there is provided a water supply means comprisinga pipe [8 which extends from a source of water supply upwardly in theforward portion of the heating chamber 6 and then forwardly across thepartition I!) where it terminates in a float valve I9 having a bottomdischarge nozzle disposed to discharge the water into the trough 1 atthe rear of the latter. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the float valve l9may consist of a casing having a shaft 21 transversely journaled thereinand provided with a cam 22 arranged to seat the valve head 23 againstthe pressure of the water, the shaft 2| having a projecting end on whichis fixed one end of the I arm 24 of a float 25. The arrangement is suchthat when the water attains a predetermined desired level in the troughl, the float 25 will have risen sufficiently to close the valve head 23,and when the level of the water lowers below said predetermined desiredlevel, the float 25 will lower and permit the valve head 23 to open. Itwill be apparent that the cover section l3 and partition ll effectivelyprevent the hogs from coming in contact with the means for controllingthe flow of water to the Water supply trough 1.

While the cover l3, l4 will prevent chilling of the water in the troughsl and B, by excluding cold drafts from the surface of the water in saidtroughs, under ordinary circumstances, it is necessary to heat thesurface of the water, particularly in the drinking trough 8, to preventfreezing of the water in extremely cold weather. I provide a means forthis purpose which will not materially heat the body of the water itselfand thereby render the same germ-propagating and unpalatable. As shown,this includes a keorsene or like lamp 26 disposed in the lower portionof heating chamber 6 and provided with a chimney 27, and a conduit orflue 28 extending from the heating chamber 6 across the top of thetrough l to the rear of the space above the water in drinking trough 8.The flue 28 has a downwardly directed rear end portion 29 that isdisposed in spaced relation to and directly over the chimney 21 of lamp26, and it will be apparent that the hot products of combustion from thelamp, together with surrounding warm air, will be conducted by the flue28 forwardly for discharge directly into the space between the water indrinking trough 8 and its lid I4. While the warm products of combustionand air in this space will escape to some extent each time the lidsection I 4 is opened, the water in the drinking trough Will be keptsufficiently Warm at the surface to prevent freezing thereof underseverely cold conditions. Also, there being no bottom in the heatingchamber 8, a sufficient amount of fresh air will enter for insuringcombustion of the fuel used in lamp 25. Still further, some of the warmair and hot products of combustion will pass from chamber 6 to the spaceabove the water in the water supply trough 1, there being a free spacefor this purpose between the partitions l0 and I! and the cover of thebody 5. It is particularly noted that it is neither desired nornecessary to heat the water itself in the troughs l and 8. In otherwords, it is simply necessary to prevent undue chilling of the surfaceof the water in the troughs, thereby leaving the temperature of thebodies of water sufiiciently low that the water will not be unhealthfuland unpalatable to the animals. The flue 28 may be suitably fastened inplace midway between the sides of the body 5 and upon the upper edges ofthe partitions Ii] and H, such as by means of clamping straps 3i and 30passing over said fiue and having their ends bolted down to thepartitions l8 and H, as at 3|. Due to the inclination of lid section I'l, it may be raised sufficiently for access to the water in the trough 8without causing said lid section to approach a vertical raised position,thereby insuring gravitation of the same to closed position, whenreleased.

From the foregoing description, it is believed that the construction andoperation, as Well as the advantages of the present invention, will bereadily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art. Minorchanges in details of construction illustrated and described arecontemplated, such as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of theinvention as claimed. The walls of the fountain can be easily insulatedwith straw or other cheap material to help maintain the water at an evenand desirable temperature, and the concrete walls will not rot or rustwhen so insulated. The cover shields the water from the sun and hot airin hot weather to prevent undue warming of the water in such weather.

What I claim is:

1. A hog watering fountain including an elonated open-top body formedwith transverse partitions to provide a front drinking trough, anintermediate water supply trough and a rear heating chamber, one of saidpartitions having a restricted passage affording constant communicationbetween said troughs below the water level therein, means including afloat Valve for maintaining a constant supply of water in the watersupply trough, a cover for the body having a top Wall resting on thesides and rear end of the body and including a flat fixed sectiondisposed above the water supply trough and the heating chamber and afreely swinging vertically movable lid section hinged directly to saidfixed section and overlying the drinking trough, the upper edges of saidpartitions being spaced from the cover, said movable lid section havinga front marginal portion projecting outwardly beyond the body adapted tobe opened by a rooting action of the hogs under the same, and a heaterin said heating chamber.

2. A hog watering fountain including an elongated open-top body formedwith transverse partitions to provide a front drinking trough, anintermediate water supply trough and a rear heating chamber, one of saidpartitions having a, restricted passage affordin constant communicationbetween said troughs below the water level therein, means including afloat valve for maintaining a constant supply of water in the watersupply trough, and a cover for-the body having a top wall resting on thesides and rear end of the body and including a fixed section disposedabove the water supply trough and the heating chamber and a freelyswinging vertically movable lid section hinged to said fixed section andoverlying the drinking trough, the upper edges of said partitions'bein-gspaced from the cover, said movable lid section having a front marginalportion projecting outwardly beyond the body adapted to be opened bya'rootingaction of the hogs'under the same,'a source of supply of agaseous heating medium in said heating chamber, and a horizontal fluesecured on' the partitions for conducting said gaseous heating mediumfrom said'source and discharging the same directly into the spacebetween the-lid section and the surface. of the water'in the drinkingtrough.

3. A hog watering fountain comprising a body formed with transversepartitions to provide a rear heating chamber, an intermediate watersupply trough, and a front drinking trough, one of said partitionshaving a restricted passage affording constant communication between thewater supply trough and the drinking trough below the water leveltherein, means including a float valve for maintaining a constant supplyof water in the water supply trough, a lamp in the heating chamber, acover for the body including a fixed rear section having a top wallresting on the sides and rear end of the body and overlying the heatingchamber and the water supply trough and a freely swinging verticallymovable lid section hinged to the fixed section and overlying thedrinking trough, said lid section having a front marginal portionprojecting outwardly beyond the body and adapted to be opened by arooting action of the hogs under the same, said partitions being spacedfrom said cover, and a conduit se- REFERENCES CITED The followingreferences are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,307,521 Shafier June 24, 19191,497,202 Belden June 10, 1924 1,640,292 Petrick Aug. 23, 1927 1,649,009Zachte Nov. 15, 1927

